Advanced three-dimensional printed scaffolds loaded with ibuprofen for periodontitis management

Periodontal diseases involve a group of inflammatory conditions, with the mildest form being gingivitis and the more severe one being periodontitis. These diseases are mainly caused by anaerobic bacteria, as a result of the disturbance of the oral cavity microflora. Given the severity of the disease, existing treatment methods are based on either the administration of antibiotics and/or surgery [1]. A promising treatment strategy is the use of three dimensional printed (3D-printed) scaffolds using biodegradable synthetic polymers. Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) are two well-established, biocompatible synthetic polymers that are widely used as biomaterials for the fabrication of 3D scaffolds in tissue regeneration applications. Additionally, these scaffolds can be loaded with pharmaceutical compounds to address any possible inflammatory reactions and promote bone regeneration. Ibuprofen is an approved non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug, possessing excellent analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous studies have shown that polycaprolactone fibre mats containing ibuprofen demonstrated the augmentation of mechanical properties of the defect periodontal tissue and alleviation of inflammation [2]. Therefore, in this work we sought to develop drug-loaded 3D scaffolds by combining PCL or PLA polymers with ibuprofen (10 wt.% based on polymer weight). Neat and drug-loaded 3D printed scaffolds were fabricated using a bioprinter (BIO X, Cellink, Sweden). All scaffolds were examined for their morphological characteristics under a scanning electron microscope (SEM), while their physicochemical properties were also assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier- transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Raman analysis.

Funding This research has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T2EDK-01641).

 

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• References

• 1 Jain N, Jain G, Javed S, Iqbal Z, Talegaonkar S, Ahmad F, Khar R.. Recent approaches for the treatment of periodontitis. Drug Discov Today 2008; 13: 932-943
• 2 Batool F, Morand D, Thomas L, Bugueno I, Aragon J, Irusta S, Keller L, Benkirane-Jessel N, Tenenbaum H, Huck O.. Synthesis of a novel electrospun polycaprolactone scaffold functionalized with ibuprofen for periodontal regeneration: An in vitro and in vivo study. Materials 2018; 11: 580

Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023